KEY POINTS:
Unwanted All Black halfback Piri Weepu says he will see out his rugby contract until the end of the season and then decide whether his future lies with league.
He said he wanted to switch codes as soon as he missed the All Blacks World Cup squad last Sunday, but after spending a week with his Wellington teammates and scoring two tries in their 68-7 win over Otago on Friday, decided to remain in rugby for the time being.
There has been speculation the exit of the 23-year-old halfback, regarded as New Zealand's No 2 behind Byron Kelleher this year until he was discarded a week ago, might have been caused by his off-field behaviour.
"They never told me my drinking or off-field issues were part of the reason why I wasn't selected," Weepu told TV3 yesterday. It was the first time Weepu has spoken in public since he missed the World Cup squad.
He was one of the six players who broke a midnight curfew and was fined $500.
Coach Graham Henry said then that while behaviour was considered in team selections, an offence such as the six players' staying out late and drinking did not warrant axeing.
Weepu's Wellington teammate Conrad Smith was also one of the six, but he was selected in the Cup squad despite playing little rugby this year because of injury.
"I'll probably sit down and talk to my family after the NPC [Air New Zealand Cup]," Weepu said.
"When I was told I wasn't going to be in the squad, I was all frustrated and was pretty much giving up and going to rugby league. That's what I wanted to do after the World Cup," he said. But he said he changed his mind after playing for Wellington.
"I sat down and talked about it. I spoke to my agent ... probably see out my contract and then make some big decisions."
Weepu trained with the Newcastle Knights National Rugby League club in January when on conditioning duty and Knights coach Brian Smith said then he would be welcomed by the club if he decided to switch codes. Weepu, from a league background in the Wellington suburb of Wainuiomata, has always been open about his desire to play the game at top level one day.
Weepu's agent Bruce Sharrock said last week that the player was annoyed and angry at missing selection, which surprised many rugby followers including Super 14 and provincial coaches around the country.
His place was taken by Canterbury's Andrew Ellis, 23, who had played twice off the bench in last November's All Blacks tour of Europe.
Ellis had a mixed Super 14 and when Henry said he had played well for the Junior All Blacks to deserve selection ahead of Weepu, there was an unbelieving silence among Super 14 coaches.
The Junior All Blacks had a dominant pack, giving Ellis and the other unwanted No 9 Jimmy Cowan, who has more Super 14 and international experience than Ellis, an armchair ride in comfortable wins over such teams as Fiji, Tonga and an under-strength Australian A side.
- NZPA
